Electrically heated paint and varnish remover



Aug. 15, 1961 J. T. GHERICICH ELECTRICALLY HEATED PAINT AND VARNISH REMOVER Filed Dec. 21, 1959 INVENTOR J.T. GHERICICH' Alld l 1 United States Patent 2,996,596 ELECTRICALLY HEATED PAINT AND VARNISH REMOVER Joseph T. Ghericich, 101 River-view Drive, Stuart, Fla. Filed Dec. 21, 1959, Ser. No. 860,798 4 Claims. (Cl. 219-29) This invention relates to a paint and varnish remover and more particularly to electrically heated scraper apparatus adapted to remove paint, varnish and other materials from coated surfaces.

It has heretofore been proposed that heated element be passed over a paint or varnish surface followed by a scraper element. Such devices, however, have not proved successful, due to the failure to recognize additional important and essential features. The structures have either allowed the heating element of its own weight to rest upon the surface and without additional pressure, or else have required that the pressure be transmitted through a single handle rigidly supporting the heating element and the scraper. They have not provided means for differentially exerting pressure upon the heating element and upon the scraper element so that the desired pressure for the heating element may be employed with respect to the particular type of paint or varnish being removed and at the same time the required pressure for the scraper being applied through flexible means directly to the scraper.

An object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved paint and varnish remover apparatus, including a weighted electrical heating element for loosening the film or layer of paint or varnish and a scraper element, in which the scraper is flexibly mounted with respect to the heating element for pressure movements in suificient amounts independently of the heating element for quick removal of the film or layer loosened by the heating element.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved electrically heated paint and varnish remover of the above type which is simple in construction, relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and thoroughly reliable and efficient in use.

With these and other objects in view, which will become readily apparent from the following detailed description of the various unique, practical and illustrative improvement shown in the accompanying drawing, the present invention comprises the novel elements, features of construction and arrangement of parts in cooperative relationship, as more particularly indicated and defined by the hereto appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an electrically heated paint and varnish remover apparatus constructed according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the structure shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a rear end view looking at the scraper element.

FIG. 4 is a detail vertical section taken along the line 44 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a detail section taken along the line 55 of FIG. 1, the scraper blade being shown depressed with respect to the heater so as to illustrate the manner in which the film of paint loosened by the heater is peeled from the painted surface.

Referring to the drawing, the new and improved paint and varnish remover may comprise a heater in the form of a heated pressure device 11 of suitable construction.

In the illustration given, the heater 11 comprises a hollow casing 12, having a front end wall 13, a rear end wall 14, and a flat bottom wall 15 arranged to pass over a painted or varnished surface 16 for the purpose of loosening the film or layer 17 of paint or varnish thereon.

Patented Aug. 15, 1961 Within the casing 12 is a resistance element 18 which is adapted to be connected to a source of electrical power by means of a cable 19. Overlying the resistance element 18 is a layer of asbestos 20.

In view of the well-known construction described, it is believed unnecessary to set forth further details.

According to the present invention, alined notches 2-1 and 22 are respectively formed in the upper portions of the front and rear walls 13 and 14.

Extending across the top of the casing 12 and arranged within the notches 21 and 22, is a handle bar 23 having a length somewhat greater than the length of the casing 12. Thus, the construction and arrangement of the parts is such that the forward end of the handlebar 23 terminates a suitable distance beyond the front end 13 and the rear end of the handle bar 23 terminates a suitable distance rearwardly from the rear wall 14 of the casing 12, where it is directed downwardly and widened to provide a vertical scraper blade 24 having its bottom formed with a cutting edge 25.

Mounted on the forward end portion of the handle bar 23 is a front handle 26, and mounted on the handle bar and disposed near the rear end portion thereof, is a rear handle 27. It will be noted that the two handles 26 and 27 are suitably spaced apart and conveniently arranged to be grasped by the hands of an operator so that pressure can be applied to the device to effect removal of paint or varnish in the manner to be hereinafter more fully de scribed.

At suitably spaced apart intervals, the handle bar 23 is formed with a pair of holes 28, into each of which is inserted a post 30, having a head 31 formed at its upper end and its lower end mounted in a threaded hole 32 formed in the bottom wall 15, whereby said post is fixedly secured within said casing 12.

Encircling each post 30 is a coil spring 33. One end of the spring 33 bears against the underside of the handle bar 2 3 to thereby keep said handle bar engaged with the head 31 of the post, and the other end of said spring bears against the upper face of the asbestos 20.

It will be noted that the purpose of the springs 33 is to normally maintain the handle bar 23 in a predetermined position within the casing 12 above the bottom of the notches 21 and 22 so that the edge 25 of the scraper blade 24 barely touches the painted surface 17 (FIG. 2), and to permit actuation of said handle 'bar as a unit relative to said casing, during operation of the device, to move the scraper blade 24 downwardly into the film 17 of paint or varnish (FIG. 5). Thus, the construction and arrangement of the parts is such that the handle bar 23 is connected to the casing 12 so that when operating pressure is applied to the handle bar, such pressure is transmitted through the springs 33 to permit the scraper to engage the painted surface, and at the same time enable the heater to engage the painted surface with sufiicient pressure to loosen the film 17 of paint or varnish therefrom. Also, due to the resilient manner in which the handle bar 23 is operatively connected with the heater 11, the operator can maintain the desired pressure upon the heater to effectively loosen the film of paint or varnish from the painted surface so that the scraper blade 24 will, when the handle bar is depressed, quickly peel the painted surface film when the device is moved in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 5.

It will be noted that the holes 28 in the handle bar 23 are larger in diameter than the diameter of the posts 30. This construction permits the handle bar 23 to be freely moved with respect to the heater 11 so that the scraper blade 24 can be rocked sideways and endways, as well and upward and downward with respect to the heater 11 when irregular surfaces are encountered. At all times the bottom of the heater will remain flat on the surface being worked on, so that there will be full coverage of heat before the scraper blade 24 is brought into peeling position with the film of paint or varnish on the preheated surface.

In operating a device of this character, it is found that different surfaces of different contour and particularly moldings and trims require diiferent types of scraper blades. With the apparatus shown, a. scraper blade of the type needed by the particular painted coating can be substituted for the scraper blade 24, and various shaped plates conforming to the contour of such substituted scraper blades can be attached to the bottom wall 15 to facilitate removal of paint from the surfaces of different contour.

While I have described the invention in great detail and with respect to the present preferred form thereof, it is not desired to be limited thereto since changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced there- What is claimed is:

l. A paint and varnish remover of the type described, comprising a heated casing adapted to be moved over a painted surface for loosening film of paint therefrom, a handle bar extending across the top of said casing and having a scraper blade on the rear end portion thereof, and means for mounting the handle bar on said casing for free movements relatively thereto, said means including a spring carried by the casing forflexibly supporting the handle bar thereon whereby operating pressure applied to the handle bar is transmitted through said spring when the device is moved over the painted surface heated and loosened by the heater to cause the scraper blade to engage the loosened film of paint and peel the same from the painted surface while said casing remains in contact with said painted surface.

2. An electrically heated paint and varnish remover comprising a casing having a front end, a rear end and an electrical heating unit located therein between said ends for heating and loosening film of paint from a painted surface, a handle bar on said casing and projecting outwardly from each end thereof, a pair of handles carried by said handle bar, one of said handles being disposed on the forward portion of the handle bar in spaced relation outwardly from the front end of the casing, the other handle being disposed near the rear portion of said handle bar, means for mounting the handle bar on said casing for free movements independently thereof, and a scraper blade fixedly secured to the handle bar and disposed in spaced relation with the rear end of said casing for engaging the film of paint loosened by the heating unit for quick removal thereof from the painted surface when the handle bar is moved relatively to said heating unit.

3. An electrically heated paint and varnish remover of the type described, comprising a casing having a front end, a rear end and an electrical heating unit located therein between said ends for loosening film of paint from a painted surface, a handle bar arranged on said casing for movement-in a plurality of directions relative to said casing, a pair of handles carried by said handle bar, one of said handles being disposed on the forward portion of the handle bar in spaced relationoutwardly from the front end of the casing, the other handle being disposed near the rear end portion of said handlebar, and a scraper blade on the rear end portion of said handle bar, said scraper blade being disposed in spaced relation to the rear end of said casing and movable independently with respect to said casing for engaging the film of paint loosened by the heating unit for quick removal thereof from the painted surface during movement of the heating unit over the painted surface.

4. A paint and varnish remover of the type described, comprising a casing having an electric unit therein constituting a heater for heating and loosening film of paint on a painted surface, a handle bar extending across the top of said casing and having a scraper blade on the rear end portion thereof, and means resiliently mounting the handle bar on said casing for free movements relative to the casing, whereby said scraper blade is engageable with the film of paint loosened by the heater to peel the same from the painted surface during movement of the casing thereover.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,612,586 Berarducci et al Sept. 30, 1952 

